The bizarre and tragic case of Rachel Canning.

From the bizarre world of can-you-believe-this tabloid headlines comes a news story that has parents all over America shaking their heads…and keeping their attorney on speed dial.  That’s because Rachel Canning, an 18-year old student from a (formerly) happy home in New Jersey has sued her parents.  Canning v. Canning isn’t about any sort of abuse or wrongdoing, thank goodness, or even her teen-angst driven quest for emancipation.  Instead, she’s suing her parents for continued financial support and college tuition.  That’s right, at 18 years old she’s a legal adult, able to vote or enlist in the military, but she’s still attempting to legally compel her parents to keep paying up, claiming they abandoned her.

To be clear, this is not a landmark case.  It won’t set any precedents or achieve anything important.  In fact, it will most certainly be thrown out of court unceremoniously, as Rachel Canning’s requests were already thrown out in an initial hearing.  Of course, there may be some copycats cases - teens filing injunctions against cleaning their rooms, going to arbitration to over post-prom curfew, and requesting witness protection from embarrassing family Christmas photos. 

But, if nothing else, it might make a statement on the dangers of entitlement.

Last week, Superior Court Family Division Judge Peter Bogaard heard the case in Morristown, New Jersey and denied all of Canning’s complaints.  There is another hearing date set for April 22 to consider other issues in the case, such as Canning’s legal status as a minor since she’s still in school, but those are expected to make no headway, also.

So what’s the story behind the court transcripts?  Why would a daughter from a nice middle class family sue her own family?  All was well only a few months ago.  Rachel was a senior Morris Catholic High School, on the honor roll, a cheerleader, played lacrosse, and had earned a $20,000 scholarship to the University of Vermont.  But things seemed to have taken a turn for the worse.  She was suspended a couple times, caught drinking, lost her role as captain of the cheerleading squad, and was kicked out of the campus ministry.  The rift with her family initially began over a new boyfriend who the Canning’s didn’t approve of (isn’t that always to blame with teens?!)  She since moved out of their home and is living in Rockaway Township with the family of her best friend, classmate Jaime Inglesino.  She filed the lawsuit not long after.

In December, her parents’ attorney responded with a letter stating that her parents were happy to pay for her health insurance and give her any and all money from a college fund that had been created for her.  But that wasn’t enough – she wanted them to pay for college tuition and living expenses – so the lawsuit proceeded. 

When looking at this case, it’s easy to do two things:

1)  To chastise Rachel Canning as a greedy, entitled, unappreciative gold digger in the making.

2)  The other side of that coin is that she’s just 18, and maybe mentally or emotionally still not fully aware of the implications of her actions, though legally she is an adult. 

But I place blame squarely elsewhere.  In fact, the father of the classmate, Jaime Ingelsino, she’s living with has his grimy fingerprints all over this case.  John Inglesino happens to be an attorney and former Morris County Freeholder.  Reports have it that he heavily influenced Rachel in her decision to sue and is funding the lawsuit himself, including hiring her attorney.  The lawsuit included a request that the elder Cannings pay his legal fees, so far totaling over $12,000. 

We're being sued by our child, I'm dumbfounded,” said Sean Canning. “So is my wife, so are my other daughters. I know Rachel is a) a good kid, b) an incredibly rebellious teen, and she's getting some terrible information.”

Rachel Canning will have to live with this the rest of her life – the estrangement from her family, the shame and embarrassment of being clowned on Page 6 of every tabloid, and the scary reality of being ostracized from any school who doesn’t want the media circus she’ll bring or any employer, who will question the permanent stain on her character and litigious nature.  Already, her name is being buffooned with countless fake social media pages.  That is the real tragedy, and she’s just beginning to pay the price for her actions.  But John Inglesino gets to live on, the puppet master, probably out $12,000 but mowing his lawn and raising his family and practicing law as if nothing had ever happened.  Heck, his manipulation on an impressionable and confused 18-year old may even land him a few new clients.